What Bean Has the Most Fiber?

by Michelle Kerns

All beans are an excellent source of fiber.

The average American's daily diet contains only about 10 to 15 grams of dietary fiber, far less than the 25 to 38 grams that the Institute of Medicine's Food and Nutrition Board recommends for healthy adult men and women. Processed foods and white flour products too often replace high-fiber foods like whole grains, fruits, vegetables and beans in the American diet. Beans are among your best choices for fiber-rich foods. All beans are an excellent source of the two types of dietary fiber, soluble and insoluble, but contain different concentrations of the two.

Total Dietary Fiber

Kidney beans contain more total dietary fiber per serving than the seven other most commonly consumed legumes in the United States, including black-eyed peas, chickpeas, lentils and black, navy, pinto and lima beans. A 1/2-cup serving of cooked kidney beans provides 7.9 grams of dietary fiber, or nearly 21 percent of the required daily intake of fiber for a man and 32 percent of the requirement for a woman. A diet that regularly includes plenty of high-fiber foods like kidney beans may significantly lower your risk of obesity, stroke, hypertension and heart disease.

Soluble Fiber

Soluble fiber consists of the gums, pectins and mucilage compounds located on the inside of plant cells. In the digestive system, these fibers absorb water and swell to form a thick, viscous mass that slows down the rate at which you digest food. Eating foods rich in soluble fiber may help prevent high blood cholesterol and diabetes. Black beans and navy beans contain the highest concentration of soluble fiber when compared to other common beans. Each 1/2-cup serving of cooked black beans has 2.4 grams of soluble fiber, while navy beans provide 2.2 grams in every serving.

Insoluble Fiber

Kidney beans contain more insoluble fiber than other common bean varieties, providing 5.9 grams of insoluble fiber in every cooked 1/2-cup serving. Lentils and pinto beans are also rich sources of insoluble fiber, with lentils providing 4.6 grams in each 1/2-cup and pintos supplying 4.7 grams. Insoluble fiber is made up of the lignin, cellulose and hemicellulose from plant cell walls. It adds bulk to stool and can help regulate bowel movements. Eating plenty of insoluble fiber from plant foods like beans may also lessen your risk of digestive disorders like hemorrhoids, diverticular disease, duodenal ulcers and colon cancer.

Considerations

If you want to increase your fiber intake by eating more beans, start by adding them into your diet slowly. Going from a low-fiber to a high-fiber diet too rapidly can cause flatulence, abdominal cramps, diarrhea and bloating. In addition, beans contain raffinose, a carbohydrate that can cause gas to build up in the intestines. Incorporate beans into your meals gradually, over several weeks, and drink six to eight glasses of water each day. Discard the water used to soak dry beans and rinse canned beans thoroughly before using. If your digestive problems continue, talk to your doctor or try an over-the-counter product that helps your body digest the raffinose in beans.

What's your dietary preference?

Gluten Free

Omnivore

Paleo

Vegetarian

Vegan

Which of these foods do you like to eat?

Fruit

Legumes

Meat & Poultry

Fish

Nuts & Seeds

Vegetables

Healthy fats

What kinds of foods would you like to incorporate more in your diet?

Healthy fats

Vegetables

Meat, Poultry & Fish

Grains

Fruits

Which of these fats do you like?

Olive oil

Avocados

Salmon

Olives

Sesame oil

Almonds

Which of these vegetables do you like?

Broccoli

Kale

Carrots

Peppers

Sweet potatoes

Which of these proteins do you like?

Beef

Chicken

Tilapia

Turkey

Eggs

Pork

Which of these grains do you like?

Whole wheat

Brown rice

Oatmeal

Cous Cous

Bulgar

Which of these fruits do you like?

Apples

Bananas

Pears

Kiwis

Oranges

Peaches

Pomegranates

Berries

Which of these foods do you like to eat?

Fish

Nuts

Vegetables

Meat & Poultry

Fruits

These are kinds of fish you can eat on a Paleo diet. Which do you like?

Halibut

Red Snapper

Tilapia

Salmon

These are some nuts you can eat on a Paleo diet. Which do you like?

Almonds

Cashews

Pistacios

Walnuts

These are some vegetables you can eat on a Paleo diet. Which do you like?

Broccoli

Peppers

Kale

Carrots

Lettuce

Cabbage

These are some proteins you can eat on a Paleo diet. Which do you like?

About the Author

Michelle Kerns writes for a variety of print and online publications and specializes in literature and science topics. She has served as a book columnist since 2008 and is a member of the National Book Critics Circle. Kerns studied English literature and neurology at UC Davis.

Photo Credits

Have Feedback?

Thank you for providing feedback to our Editorial staff on this article. Please fill in the following information so we can alert the Healthy Eating editorial team about a factual or typographical error in this story. All Fields are required.